The 2016 Atlanta Falcons had one of the greatest offenses of all time. They did everything right; every week of the season, they’d light up the scoreboard, and the defense wasn’t elite but better than average. The 2016 Atlanta Falcons finished the season 11-5, and after winning the NFC Championship, they had a date with the New England Patriots. I refuse to talk any further about that season, but in my opinion, that team was one of the greatest never to finish the job.
It’s been 2,025 days since the final snap for the 2016 Falcons; almost all players have found new homes or retired. There are too many players to cover in one article, so this article focuses primarily on the notable players on the offensive side of the ball. Here is how all of their careers fared after the tragic Super Bowl loss.
Quarterbacks:
Matt Ryan: QB No. 1 for this Falcons team. In my opinion, the greatest quarterback to put on a Falcons’ uniform. After the 2016 NFL season, Ryan played five more seasons with the Falcons, putting up 22,034 passing yards and a 127:56 TD: INT ratio. Although the Falcons’ have only made the playoffs once since then, Ryan often carried the team to wins by himself. In the 2022 NFL offseason, he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts after the Falcons looked to be moving on in the quarterback department. Ryan is set to play his first official game with the Colts on September 11th, 2022.
Matt Schaub: Longtime backup quarterback for the Falcons. Matt Schaub signed a two-year extension after the 2016 season. He didn’t get a single snap of action in 2017 but remained on the team until 2020 when he retired after the season. After 2017, his few plays of action as QB No. 1 produced 600 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.
Runningbacks/Fullbacks:
Devonta Freeman: A pivotal piece in the Super Bowl run, Devonta Freeman stayed with the Falcons for three more years. But, after injury concerns and diminishing production, the Falcons released Freeman in March of 2020. He signed with the Giants months later but was, again, released and signed elsewhere. After multiple stints with little success in Buffalo, New Orleans, and Baltimore, Devonta Freeman is a free agent as of August 2022.
Tevin Coleman: One of the most exciting players of the 2016 season, Tevin Coleman exploded in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He stayed with Atlanta until 2018, then followed Shanahan to San Fransisco in free agency. Coleman played with the 49ers for two years, tallying up 811 total yards and seven touchdowns. He left San Fransisco in 2020 and signed with the New York Jets, where he remains a backup runningback and a good option.
Patrick DiMarco: The Falcons’ fullback did the fundamentals of his position well. So well that he earned a four-year deal with the Buffalo Bills immediately after the 2016 season. He didn’t fill the stat sheet, but he helped Buffalo with blocking and occasional rushing/receiving. He was released in 2020 and retired from professional football in 2021.
Wide Receivers:
Julio Jones: One of the greatest to ever play his position. The Matt Ryan-Julio Jones connection was one of the most exciting at the time. Julio continued to play well in Atlanta following 2016; however, after the Falcons failed to compete for the playoffs, the relationship between Atlanta and Julio turned sour. No one forgets the “I’m outta there” moment on live television. Julio was traded to Tennessee in 2021 and missed six games due to injury. Due to his inability to stay healthy, the Titans released the former All-Pro, and he recently signed with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on July 26th, 2022.
Mohamed Sanu: One of the fan favorites in Atlanta, Sanu was a reliable target with multiple huge plays in close games. He stayed with the Falcons until 2019 when he was traded to New England. A year later, he was released and then signed by San Fransisco. Then, he was released a month after signing with the 49ers. A month later, Detroit signed Sanu, and he was on the active roster for a year. When his contract expired, he signed back with the 49ers and signed with the Miami Dolphins a year later. Sanu remains with Miami as of August 2022, a wild ride for the veteran wide receiver.
Taylor Gabriel: One of the fastest players on the Falcons, Gabriel added multiple layers to an already dynamic offense. After 2016, he played one more year with Atlanta and signed with the Bears the following offseason. He put up 1041 receiving yards and six touchdowns in two years, but Chicago released Gabriel in February 2020. Taylor Gabriel retired from professional football in April 2021.
Tight Ends:
Levine Toilolo: Atlanta’s TE No. 1, Levine Toilolo, was primarily used for blocking assignments. Toilolo remained with Atlanta for another year but was released after Austin Hooper showed flashes of potential. Toilolo went to Detroit and San Fransisco before finding a long-term contract with the Giants. New York didn’t resign Toilolo after the 2021 season, and he remains in free agency.
Austin Hooper: Hooper, a rookie in the 2016 season, made his mark on the offense in the following years. He remained with Atlanta for three more seasons and put up 1973 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. This productive play landed him a four-year, $42 million contract with Cleveland following the 2019 season. Hooper was decent with Cleveland and was released after two years with the team. He signed with the Tennessee Titans two days later on a one-year deal and hopes to prove his worth in the upcoming season.
Offensive Line:
Jake Matthews: The only player left from this Falcons’ 2016 offense, Jake Matthews has remained with Atlanta since the Super Bowl and hasn’t missed a game in five years (81 straight games in that span). He recently signed a three-year, $55 million contract to keep him in Atlanta through 2024.
Ryan Schraeder: Schraeder was with Atlanta for only two more years after 2016. The Falcons signed him to a five-year, $31.5 contract extension in November 2016 but released him in March 2019. Schraeder retired a short time afterward.
Andy Levitre: Similar to Schraeder, Levitre was only with Atlanta for two more seasons after 2016. Due to injury concerns, Levitre wasn’t resigned after 2018. Without any offers, he retired from professional football in May 2019.
Alex Mack: The Pro Bowl Center, Alex Mack, was a dominant force for Atlanta’s O-Line. He remained with the Falcons for four years, making the Pro Bowl twice in that span. After his contract expired, he signed with San Fransisco for three years worth $14.85 million. After one season with the 49ers, Alex Mack retired from professional football in June 2022.
Special Teams:
Matt Bryant: One of the greatest Falcons of all time, Matt “Money” Bryant, remained with the Falcons until 2019, when he was released to create cap space. However, the Falcons needed a kicker, so they resigned him a year later on a one-year deal. But, cyclically, they released him a month later. He hasn’t played professional football since.
Matt Bosher: An excellent punter, Bosher stayed with the Falcons until his contract expired in 2019. Regressing in production, he hasn’t seen an offer since and currently sits in free agency.
The 2016 Falcons, the greatest team that never was? Perhaps. While we can reminisce on the past, we’ve got an exciting group of young talent ready to represent Atlanta in the 2022-2023 NFL season. I’ve made my predictions for how they’ll do, but who knows; maybe they’ll be the team I’m writing about in seven years.
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